Pubdate: Sun, 22 Apr 2018
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2018 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Jenny Yuen
HOMEGROWN POT WILL BE BIGGEST MUNICIPAL HEADACHE, GUIDE SAYS
Toronto's municipal licensing and standards department is reviewing
city bylaws to see if changes are needed to deal with the "potential
impacts" that people growing legal marijuana may have on neighbouring
tenants or properties.
Mark Sraga, director of investigation services for the licensing
department, said he doesn't anticipate cannabis home-grow operations
to have a significant impact on municipal bylaws when the law permits
people to grow the drug this summer.
"Under Health Canada rules, people are allowed to grow medicinal
marijuana in their houses," he said. "I don't see how growing four
plants necessarily having any impact considering the fact I've seen
some personal designation grow licences for hundreds of plants."
Marijuana plants are pictured during a tour of Tweed Inc. in Smiths
Falls, Ont., on Thursday, January 21, 2016. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE
CANADIAN PRESS)
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities last week released a
cannabis legalization guide that highlights provisions which will
allow people to grow up to four marijuana plants as problematic.WEED
101: Cannabis lifestyle store teaches about cannabis basics ahead of
legalization
Mayor John Tory is backing the city's review of current bylaws.
"When it comes to marijuana legalization, the mayor has maintained that
three things were important to the City of Toronto: neighbourhood
safety, public health, and ensuring Toronto doesn't get burdened with
the additional costs created by these changes," said Tory's spokesman
Don Peat.
Marijuana buds and hands making joint.
Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash said the force will take a
"wait-and-see" approach to see what the federal and provincial
governments will do.
"As we have with dispensaries and others, we will continue to enforce
the law," he said.
But Abi Roach, the director of Ontario Cannabis and Consumer Retail
Alliance, doesn't believe homegrown producers will be a headache for
municipalities. Instead, she sees the lack of spaces where users can
consume the plant, as a big issue.
"We're already seeing apartment building and condo owners say, 'If you
consume in your condo or apartment, we're going to kick you out,'" she
said. "The chances of you living in private space that's not attached
to another human being's on one wall or the other is impossible.
Toronto has seven lounges. Toronto can create their own bylaws for
consumption."
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MAP posted-by: Matt